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Available with a prescription, another option is Propecia (finasteride), which comes in topical and tablet forms. There’s still some debate about the exact effect of vitamin or mineral supplements on hair loss. But researchers do know that deficiencies in some of these can increase the risk of androgenic alopecia (pattern hair loss). Boosting zinc, iron, vitamins D, C, B2 (riboflavin), B9 (folate), and B12, among others, may help. A shock to your system, including a stressful event or season, can cause hair loss.
What is the prognosis (outlook) for people with hair loss?
A dermatologist might also be able to diagnose telogen effluvium and offer advice. They will look at other indicators of hair health, such as the appearance of the scalp, any patches of hair loss, or more generalized hair thinning. Though some types of hair loss can’t be stopped, there’s a lot you can do to prevent it or slow its progression. Everything from genetics to medications to hormonal changes can lead to hair loss. Depending on the underlying cause, prevention strategies range from dietary and hair care changes to taking medications or supplements. There are few connections between hat wearing and hair loss in the research.
Treatment
Because it’s a condition of the scalp, if you notice rapid hair loss, you may wish to see a dermatologist for an evaluation. Sometimes, due to a shock to the system, the hair’s growth phase stalls out. Telogen effluvium develops when more follicles than usual, at least 30%, don’t properly transition to the resting phase. In addition to losing hair on the scalp, some people with alopecia areata lose hair from their eyebrows, eyelashes, or other parts of the body.
What are the symptoms of telogen effluvium?
Weeks to months later, the doctors diagnosed all the women with the stress-related hair loss condition. This works well for people with inherited baldness since they typically lose hair on the top of the head. Because some hair loss can be progressive, you may need multiple procedures over time. It’s important to keep in mind that hair growth is a complex process and multiple tests may be needed to understand what is causing your hair loss.
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The diameter and length of the lost hairs can signal this condition and may help a doctor differentiate between telogen effluvium and alopecia. For professional advice, a person can contact a dermatologist or trichologist, who is a specialist in conditions related to the hair and scalp. Though more study is needed, researchers found laser therapy effective for treating hair loss. This treatment exposes affected areas to specialized light beams. This at-home therapy involves daily applications with either low level laser therapy (LLLT) devices like laser-emitting combs, caps, or bands, or hand-held light emitting diode (LED) devices.
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Early treatment of a receding hairline (frontal fibrosing alopecia) might help avoid significant permanent baldness. The cause of this condition is unknown, but it primarily affects older women. Telogen effluvium affects your hair when it’s in the telogen stage. After a stressor or change to your body, up to 70% of your hair in the anagen stage prematurely enters the telogen phase, which causes hair loss.
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However, the moment you develop an illness, your body focuses on feeding the parts of the body that are vital to staying alive. “Stress hormones such as cortisol affect our bodies in lots of ways,” she says, which may include disrupting the hair cycle. Understanding the underlying cause of your hair loss is absolutely necessary in determining the best approach to halt and reverse any further damage to your hair and scalp. The type of hair loss most commonly caused by stress is telogen effluvium. With telogen effluvium, it is common for hair to grow back within 3–6 months after managing the cause. Sometimes, the rate of shedding slows down but does not stop entirely.
This article answers the question of whether stress can cause hair loss, the different types of stress-related hair loss, and what a person can do to manage stress-related hair loss. Before pursuing hair loss treatment, talk with your doctor about the cause of your hair loss and treatment options. You shouldn’t have any other symptoms, such as a rash, itching, burning, pain or flaking. Telogen effluvium is one of the most common causes of rapid hair loss. It’s also one of the most common causes of hair loss in women and people AFAB. However, your chances of developing chronic telogen effluvium without a detectable cause increase if you’re a woman or assigned female at birth (AFAB) and are between 30 and 60 years of age.
The researchers began by testing the role of the adrenal glands, which produce key stress hormones—corticosterone in rodents and cortisol in humans. Removing the adrenal glands from mice led to rapid cycles of hair regrowth. Hair follicle regeneration didn’t slow as these mice grew older, like it did in control mice. Rather, hair follicle stem cells continued to enter the growth phase and regenerate hair follicles throughout the animals’ lifespans. The team was able to restore the normal hair cycle by feeding the mice corticosterone. Chronic stress has been linked to hair loss for years, but until recently researchers haven’t fully understood why.
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In fact, one study of identical twins found those who wore hats more often had less thinning above the forehead. However, tight-fitting hats may put extra stress on your hair follicles, which can impact hair loss. To prevent hair loss, it’s important to understand what’s causing your condition.
As with chemotherapy, radiation therapy for cancer can also cause hair loss, typically around treated areas. In these cases, regrowth takes longer—anywhere from six to 12 months after stopping treatment. If the dosages are high, the hair on affected may grow back thinner or not at all. New York doctors presented a case study of 10 patients from an ambulatory dermatology clinic. All were women of different ages and ethnic backgrounds who had tested positive for COVID-19.
“Opt for hairstyles that minimize tension on the hair follicles, such as loose braids, buns or ponytails,” advises Gaboardi. “Avoid tight hairstyles and hair accessories that pull on the hair and handle your hair with care to minimise breakage and damage. While many types of stress-related hair loss are temporary, anyone noticing sudden or patchy hair loss should speak to their doctor. This can sometimes signify an underlying condition that may need medical treatment. Stress and hair loss can also be related, particularly if a person experiences high stress levels, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Male pattern baldness typically involves progressive hair loss above the temples and thinning at the crown of the head, creating an “M” shape. During a hair transplant procedure, a dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon removes hair from a part of the head that has hair and transplants it to a bald spot. Each patch of hair has one to several hairs (micrografts and minigrafts).
Identifying the cause of the hair loss and seeking appropriate treatment is essential. Stress hair loss, or telogen effluvium, looks like hair falling out quickly from combing, washing, or even just touching the hair. The hair on the scalp may be thinning, but the scalp looks healthy and does not have scales or rashes. Environmental triggers play a significant role in its development. Some also consider stressful life events as significant factors that trigger the condition. There is evidence to show that genetic factors may also play a role in the development of alopecia areata.
In the most common type of permanent hair loss, only the top of the head is affected. Hair transplant, or restoration surgery, can make the most of the hair you have left. If you lose significant hair, it’s important to protect your scalp. Wear a hat, scarf or other head covering when you’re in the sun, and apply sunscreen daily.
You're likely to first bring your concerns to the attention of your family doctor. He or she may refer you to a doctor who specializes in the treatment of skin problems (dermatologist). Stress is any type of change that causes physical, emotional or psychological strain, according to the World Health Organization. Everyone experiences stress to some degree at certain moments in their lives, but long-term or intense stress can have more severe effects on the brain and body. Stress can cause hair loss, and there are a couple of different reasons it happens.